Bond-wire connecter and bootleg terminal



Jan. 18, 1927. 1,615,187

w. BOSSERT ET AL BOND WIRE CONNECTER AND BOOTLEG TERMINAL Filed June 19. 1923 uuguum Patented Jan. 18, 1927.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

WILLIAM F. BOSSER'J. AND JOHN C. EDWARDS, OF UTICA, NEW YORK, ASSIGNORS 'IO SIGNAL ACCESSORIES CORPORATION, OF UIICA, NEW YORK, A CORPORATION OF NElV YORK.

BOND-WIRE CONNEGTER AND BOOTLEG TERMINAL.

Application filed June 19,

This invention relatesito certainimprovements in bond wire connectors and bootleg terminals.

The invention pertains particularly to a device for establishing permanent and solid electrical connection between two rails of a railroad track or to an electrical connection between a rail and an extraneous iijrstrument, and is particularly designed for use by railroads in connection with electrically operatedv signal devices.

It is quite essential in devices of this charactor that good electrical connection be maintained between the rail and the terminal or connecter secured to it, and devices of this character have been more or less ineflicient due to the fact that the vibration caused by passing trains, as well as expansion and contraction of the respective elements due to changes in temperature loosen the connection between the terminal and the rail and make the connection poor or in efficient.

The object of this invention is to provide a terminal or device of the character described which is permanently and rigidly secured to the rail in a novel manner and constitutes a good and efficient electrical connection.

Other objects and advantages relate to the details of construction and form of the device,,-all as will more fully appear from the following description, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is an elevation of a portion of two adjoining rails having our invention applied thereto.

Figure 2 is a section on line 2-2, Figure 1.

Figure 3 illustrates the construction and form of the terminal or connecter before it is permanently secured to the web of the rail.

Figure 4- illustrates a terminal or connecter of the one-wire type.

As illustrated in the drawings, the connecter or terminal of this invention consists of a body or head portion 1 having a vertically extending split portion 2- constituting a clamp for wires 3 and 4:-, Which are preferably seated in areaate recesses formed in the opposite walls of the clamping part 2- for the reception 1923. Serial No. 646,339.

of the respective wires, as shown. These wires are firmlyclamped in place in their respective recesses in any suitable manner. as by a stud or bolt 5 having a threaded relation with one of the walls as -6- of the clamp, and extending through the opposite wall for the reception of a caste]- lated nut -7 held in desired position against relative rotary adjustment by means of cotter pin -8- driven through the bolt and engaging castellations on the nut.

The body or headed portion -1- of the connector is formed with a tapered shank -9 of suflicient length so that the tang end 10 of the shank will project a short distance through the web -1lof a rail 12. Preferably the web 11 of the rail is formed with a tapered opening adapted to tightly receive the tapered shank --9 when the latter is driven thereinto, to form a tight and efiicient contact between the parts.

For the purposes of rigidly and permanently securing the connecter or terminal to the web 11 of the rail, the head 1- and the shank -9 are formed with a longitudinal conduit extending from end to end of the terminal, and preferably having a conical countersink 13- in the head for the reception of the offset end of a steel pin 14- adapted to be driven into the conduit or passageway 15- extending through the body 1 and the shank 9--. This conduit 15, as best shown in Figure 3, is reduced near the tang end 10 of the tapered shank to form an inwardly projecting shoulder -16- of considerably less internal diameter than the external diameter of the pin -14-. The connection or terminal is formed of suitable material, such as perhaps preferably bronze, which, when the pin 14: is driven into the reduced tang end beyond the shank 15-, is offset and displaced outwardly so as to form an outwardly extending shoulder -17- as perhaps best indicated in Figure 2, which permanently and rigidly rivets and secures the tapered shank of the terminal or connection to the web 11 of the rail -12.

It will be obvious that the wire clamping part -2-- of the connection may be formed with internal arcuate recesses for the reception of a desired number of wires or conductors. In Figures 1 and 2 and 3 a structure is illustrated adapted to be utilized 1n connection w1th two wlres or conductors,

whereas in Figure 4 a structure is shown primarily adapted for use with one wire or conductor only.

Altho we have shown and described a specific construction and method of securing a terminal or connecter to the web of a rail and its adaptation for clamping one or more wires or conductors, we do not desire to limit ourselves to the details of the structure disclosed or to the exact method, as various changes and modifications may be made within the scope of the appended claim.

We claim The combination with the web of a rail having a tapered opening therethrough, of a connector comprising a body portion, a tubular tapered shank depending from the body portion and disposed in and fitting in the opening in the web of a rail, and having a tang end lying outside the web of the rail and upon the opposite side of the rail from said body portion, said tang end having a cylindrical reduced bore of uniform diameter throughout and a hardened pin of a size adapted to lit the opening through the taperedshank and adapted to be driven into the tang and to expand the same and rivet the connecter to the rail, a pair of spaced clamping walls extending from the body portion in substantially parallel relation and adapted to grip a conductor disposed between them, and means for drawing said walls toward each other.

In witness whereof we have hereunto set our hands this thirty first day of May, 1923.

\VILLIAM F. BOSSERT. JOHN C. EDWARDS. 

